


Strong in the Real Way

by Pass1onAndH0pe



Series: Exploring Errortale [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Errortale, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Gen, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Sans, error!sans - Freeform, flashbacks are fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:30:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7543342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pass1onAndH0pe/pseuds/Pass1onAndH0pe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Knitting lessons and flashbacks, it's time I took a crack at Error since I'm so involved in AU's lately.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strong in the Real Way

They sat beside each other in the Anti-Void, needles in hand, working as the silence dwelled around them. Sans, or Blue(berry) as he was nicknamed, had suggested they try again with knitting lessons. Error sat to his right, still holdling the needles wrong, and muttering a curse every now and then to interrupt the silence. Blue knitted slow and held his needles in such a way Error could steal a glance whenever he stumbled. Blue had learned by now the other was too stubborn to ask for help.

It was nice to be like this. When Error wasn't being intimidating the alternate proved pleasant company even with his bad attitude. As pleasant as a tempermental world wrecking- _okay_ discarding that train of thought. Blue focused on what his fingers were doing.

"why did you learn to do this anyway?" Error asked all of a sudden. Blue looked over at him surprised at the question. The other was staring with deadpanned expression.

"WHY DO YOU ASK?"

"it's rude to answer a question with a question." Blue felt a retort on the tip of his tongue, but he held back. He looked back at his hands, pausing in his knitting to formulate a reply.

"WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE LEARNED IF NOT FOR MY BROTHER'S SUGGESTION."

"oh?" Error sounded skeptical and unimpressed.

"MOST CERTAINLY! THERE IS QUITE THE TALE BEHIND THIS ESCAPADE." Blue noticed he was hooking Error's interest. Two could play at the storytellin game. He grinned and flourished a hand in a small, grand gesture. "IT WAS A TYPICAL DAY IN SNOWDIN..."

 

Sans had been standing in the kitchen making tacos for their lunchbreak. Papyrus had not shown up yet, not that Sans was too worried. His brother always came around in some form or fashion.

He was in the process of chopping lettuce with his hand when the front door opened. Turning his head, Sans saw Papyrus speedwalking towards him. A minute observation, but it was rare to see his brother walk with such purpose in his steps.

"hey, bro." Papyrus stopped at the kitchen doorway looking almost, _dare Sans admit_ , nervous.

"SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND, BROTHER?"

"oh, nothin', just wondering...have you ever knitted before? 'cause i might be in need of-" Papyrus cut himself off diverting his gaze. Sans stared, and with hands on hips, continued staring now feeling full of fraternal concern and brotherly responsibility.

"PAPYRUS?"

"oh, it's just, i need a striped scarf and four pairs of mittens is all. if you don't know how it's fine." Papyrus would later admit he decided to ask Sans due to his brother attempting to take up new hobbies.

"NONSENSE! THE GREAT SANS ACCEPTS SUCH A CHALLENGE!"

"challenge?" Papyrus glanced across at his brother in partial confusion.

"THE CHALLENGE OF LEARNING TO KNIT IN-" Sans darted a look at the kitchen clock. "-TWO DAYS."

It was one of his greatest success stories to boast about. Every moment not dedicated to doing a daily duty Sans was either reading or practicing knitting. Papyrus seemed nervous at first, almost guilty for inciting the challenge, but it wore off by the second day.

On the night of, Sans presented him with the requested items. The scarf was large and broad. In coloration, it was light blue and dark blue the stripes intermitten on it. The mittens were all an identical shade of lilac and crafted a medium size.

Papyrus never told Sans what he did with them. Sans never saw them on his brother's person. He did notice, however, a mouse monster in Snowdin wearing a familiar scarf one day not long after. Walking home from puzzle making, Sans noticed Muffet closing shop while wearing four pairs of lilac mittens.

 

"heh, so your bro **used** you?" Blue frowned at Error's amused reaction.

""USED" IS HARDLY THE CORRECT WORD. HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING NICE FOR THOSE MONSTERS, AND I HELPED!"

"i really wonder about that." Error looked down at his work in progress scarf clasped loosely in his yellow-and-red fingers. A wry grin was stretched across his face. Blue didn't like where he thought this was going.

"MY BROTHER, LAZY AND UNCARING HE MAY ACT, HAS ALWAYS HAD GOOD IN HIM!" He asserted causing Error to look back at him. The dark amusement from before still remained.

"it seems true. every Papyrus, **bad** as they can **get** , have that goodness trait." Error's voice, always coming out sounding like a skipping tape, was beginning to buzz at pronouncing certain words. A sense of foreboding filled Blue's chest. He knew Error was beginning to get worked up in a negative sense.

The other held up his hand waving it to summon one of those inter-dimentionary windows. Shown inside of it were images changing at a rapid pace, and always depicting different versions of themselves and Papyrus. Error kept it there while keeping his gaze on Blue. It managed to unnerve him.

"doesn't it make you think that there's **bad** to be found in **every Sans**?" Error's grin stretched to a sneer. Blue frowned recognizing he was only saying such things to stir up anger in him. It caused him a familiar sense of frustration and distress.

In fact, maybe too familiar. Blue mumbled to himself as a memory crossed his mind.

 

"PAPYRUS! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Sans knocked on his brother's door. Waiting a few seconds to be polite, he opened it and entered. Papyrus was lying on his bed only half dressed. Face upturned, he didn't move to see Sans come in.

"PAPYRUS?" Concerned, Sans walked over to his bedside.

"you know, bro, i don't know how you do it sometimes."

"DO WHAT?"

"you're always so, what's the word, _gung-ho_ about everything and everyone. you can always see the good and acknowledge the bad without letting it stop you from seeing the good." Papyrus heaved a sigh and turned his head to look at Sans. "you're too good for your own good, Sans."

The smaller skeleton reached across and placed a hand on his brother's arm. A small, kind smile was on his face. It hurt and distressed him to see Papyrus act this way. He had learned patience when it came about, and offered the best thing he could. Encouragement.

"I'M GOOD ENOUGH TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP AT IT, PAP. I KNOW YOU CAN BECOME BETTER," Sans assured patting his brother's arm. They laughed together a little, and Papyrus sat up. Nothing more to do than dress.

 

" **HEY!** don't **space out** when i'm talking to **you**!" Blue came back to the present a frown still on his face. Error looked annoyed enough to where he half expected to see strings wrapped around his soul. It didn't happen, and Blue quickly caught the ball and rolled the conversation on.

"SORRY, I JUST, IT'S NOTHING."

"now what, you're **being cryptic, too**?" Error narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Blue didn't want to mention the memory to him. The fact he could distinguish such a small similarity between the two was, pardon the pun, bone chilling.

"LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOTHING. SO, YOU WERE TRYING TO PSYCHE ME OUT?"

"yeah and- **HEY**! i didn't know you had spunk." Blue grinned as Error's tense expression relaxed. "nice change of pace."

Hearing the buzz disappear, Blue also relaxed as the hostile moment passed. He wished there were easier ways of getting a change of pace. Ways which didn't involve him conjouring up memories of a better time and a better place. Memories shared with his estranged brother.

**Author's Note:**

> I may have been too influenced by the Stars song "In Our Bedroom After the War" while writing this piece, whoops. I can't help wanting to save everyone from their demons.


End file.
